From Brooklyn to the Schuylkill River: Notes on Philadelphia (& New York City)

I read that John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Edward Rutledge agreed to meet with British General Howe at the beginning of the War of Independence. It took them 2 days to reach Staten Island on horseback from Philadelphia. It took us a couple of short hours on the NJ Turnpike to reach this city near the Schuykill River ("school-kill", Dutch for "hidden river.")

We visited for a couple of days with our younger daughters. We made a point of going to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which sits grandly visible at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. We wanted to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. Although Frida Kahlo, born of Mexican and German/Jewish parents, has long since entered the popular culture, in that regard dwarfing her husband, muralist Diego Rivera, this huge retrospective of her work is very energetic and comprehsensive, quite an experience to view. The show includes works from throughout her life, along with family photographs, lots of informative text, and a cool audio accompaniment.
Organized in celebration of the centenary of the artist's birth, this exhibition of over 40 paintings focuses on Frida Kahlo's extraordinary self-portraits. Also on view are portraits and still-life paintings, in which Kahlo projects her passions, both personal and political, onto other people's likenesses or everyday objects.

Particularly interesting: Claire Booth Luce, editor of Vanity Fair, had commissioned Kahlo to paint a tribute of a socialite friend who had leaped to her death from a hotel. Kahlo's "portrait" of the dead woman, intended as a gift from Luce to her grieving mother, was a painting that portrayed the woman in the act of suicide. Luce refused to accept the painting, wanted to destroy it, but ended up not paying for it and returning it to Kahlo. Kahlo's politics, like her art, appeared to address social and gender/sexual relations and issues, both in her personal life and in society at large. There is a lot here to take in, aesthetically, politically and philsophically. And through her emotional depth and the body awareness that is imbedded in her work, it is grandly aesthetic but with notes of violence, pain and loneliness everywhere. The show is on view through May 18th.

The hotel we stayed at in Philadelphia overlooked Logan Circle, which, according to local history and a plaque in the lobby, was the site of public hangings until 1823. This thought loomed large when we saw the CNN report about the conclusion of the trial of the 3 NYPD police detectives charged in the shooting of Sean Bell. While NY media is so dominant to us, we also learned that a demonstration was held in Philadelphia over the weekend to protest a number of deadly force killings of civilians by the Philadelphia police that have occurred over the last couple of years in Philadelphia. Although not all of the Philadelphia shootings by police mirrored the Sean Bell case (in some instances, the victims in Philadelphia were armed, although apparently the illegal weapon had not been drawn at the time they were shot), the info indicated that despite the numerous occurrences of unjustified deadly force, no District Attorney/ grand jury investigation has ever occurred to look into these matters. In New York City, it appears that Federal lawsuits and civil trials will likely follow, so that, despite the NY Judge's determination that the detectives were not criminally culpable, it is clear that in NYC the repercussions from the NYPD shooting of the unarmed Sean Bell are far from over. Errol Lewis had a great, thoughtful op ed piece in today's NY Daily News, with concrete proposals on how NYC can begin to address this tragic situation, to try to prevent it from occurring yet again. Cops are clearly often in life and death situations, but it is our obligation as a city to prevent the shooting of innocent (primarily minority) civilians. The Errol Louis article is "a must read". It is sobering to note however that in some cities, such as Philadelphia, which was the focus of a lot of attention in the recent Democratic primary, in those instances when apparently unjustified use of deadly force by police have occurred, the investigations have yet to even begin, in some case years after the shootings.

New York City can and must do better. This is an issue that must be addressed head on, with all deliberate speed.

Errol Louis here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/columnists/louis/

"PAUL SIMON: American Tunes" at BAM

The Brooklyn Academy of Music presented "Paul Simon: American Tunes," part-tribute concert, part-Paul Simon concert, and mostly an opportunity to hear many of the standards from the Paul Simon solo catalog from a different musical perspective. Simon opened the show with the Roche Sisters and his superb band, with "American Tune" which never sounded so relevant as it does today. When that song was first released on "There Goes Rhymin'Simon", in the era of Watergate and the dismay at the apparent closing of the Age of Aquarius and AntiWar- liberation movements, we thought that we had "issues" as a nation when we realized that our politicans were corrupt and malfeasant in their disruption of the political process, and that the Viet Nam war had lead the U.S. down a dark corridor. Well, who knew then that "we hadn't seen anything yet". This was followed later by "Me and Julio" which was warmly received.

Simon left the stage for a while, as the Roche Sisters, provided lovely interpretations of Cecelia and other tunes. One tune, "Another Galaxy" concluded withthe comment how great it was to be "In Brooklyn--Another Galaxy". "That's right!" someone shouted. Next,

Amos Lee performed "Peace Like a River" from the first post-S&G Simon solo album. Amos Lee, a Philadelphia-born musician has played with Bob Dylan and others. His intense, blues-tinged folk, gave a deep undercurrent of sad truths told joyfully. Grizzly Bear, a Brooklyn-band, took the stage, complex arrangements from a spare 4 piece group.

Olu Dara, combining jazz, blues, Afro-caribbean rhythms, performed "50 Ways to Lose Your Lover" and other tunes. Dara made a peculiar joke to the audience not to litter since his band mates earned money on the side cleaning up after the show. This felt a little awkward, one of a few attempts that Olu Dara made at connecting with his large audience, but this sort of fell flat. At any rate, I guess it seemed like patter for a smaller club and a different audience.

That said, the show was interesting since it attracted a diverse audience with a core of long time Simon fans but it was not strictly a Paul Simon-retrospective performance. In fact, after the 3rd or 4th performances without Simon, someone yelled out "Where's Paul ?" Although all of the musicians appear well established, the show seemed to highlight the irony that rock music, essentially an American and avant garde form, is subject to certain cultural and aesthetic assumptions, apparently not the least of which is based on age.Rock music rolls on. Those Simon and S&G recordings are only a snapshot. The music, like the musician, is ever changing, subject to new interpretations and musical passions. After the first couple of sets, and one realized that Paul would not be on stage all evening, it was great to just sit back and let all of the music happen all around you, hear familiar Simon tunes done by different voices and different, though essentially faithful to the original, arrangements. The fact that new generations of musicians are equally in love with the Simon songbook was just such a powerful statement on the originality and relentless creativity of this great artist.

Josh Groban, a fabulous singer with an incredibly strong and clear voice, brought new depth and range to "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Remarkable too, Gillian Welch and partner David Rawlings, performing "Duncan" with Simon. Stylistically, Welch is an intense and hard to categorize fusion of bluegrass, folk, country and blues.

Simon returned with his band and tore through "Train in the Distance, " "How Can You Live in the Northeast", "Late in the Evening" and more. Mark Stewart, Simon's musical director, of Polyphonic Lounge and Bang on a Can Festival, an remarkable multi-instrumentalist, stands out in Simon's already tight and very high powered band.

There were so many songs it was hard to keep track, but it was a night for, by, and about Paul Simon. It was an amazing amazing show all around.

Paul Simon: American Tunes extends through April 27 at BAM's beautiful Howard Gilman Opera House.

Spiritual Technology 3: Passover in Flatbush - Food and Folly

Do I see a theme developing ? I am afraid so. From the Sacred to the Profane and Back again. Just a post to wish a Happy Passover to y'all who celebrate it, and a Happy Spring to those who don't. The flora in Flatbush is only matched by the beautiful clear skies this week. Spring is finally here.

We observe Passover in our home, which means a lot more food prep throughout the week. We try to make it fun by cooking more than usual, trying to be creative within the limits allowed. But it wouldn't be Passover without a few boxes of Passover cereal, some of which the kids like a lot, some of which they say tastes medicinal, like cardboard, etc. I have found it fascinating to see how food technology has tried to adapt, through complex, multi step recipes, and using kosher for Passover products to come up with different types of products that may involve some preparation, but which attempt to resemble products that are otherwise Not Cool for Passover. (If you are Vegan, think of Tofurkey at Thanksgiving). The Passover products are often just a shadow of what they are intended to replace, but that self-denial/abstinence is part of the point of the holiday, I guess. Some foods that you make yourself from scratch are fun adaptations, like Matzah-Pizza, or Matzah-lasagna. But others, when you try to create the illusion of a Passover rolls, doughnuts, some of the cakes, or leaden pancakes, it is just a fool's errand, so lots of things like that we just avoid. I was home from work for a few days and today whipped up a few funky Passover thangs to keep the house moving along and the kids' interest piqued. For instance, using a combination of Passover cake meal, matzah meal, potato starch and real veges and of course those staples of the holiday -- eggs and olive oil, I fashioned a vegetable cheese quiche, noodle kugel (sort of a cake-pudding hybrid with lots of dried fruits), potato kugel (straight from the box), and a couple of cakes (honey and crumb). This is not some of the healthiest eating of the year, so we try to supplement with lots of fruits and salads, etc.

OK, I am off and running. Tonite: Paul Simon at BAM. Ciao.

Spiritual Technology 2: Dorsky Museum: Photographs by Allen Ginsberg

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of the Arts (SDMA) in the Hudson Valley never fails to inspire or surprise. Whether an exhibition of faculty or student work, or a show from its great collection of modern art and photography, the Dorsky, located on the campus of SUNY - New Paltz is remarkable in its passion and quality. A great recent show included "Beat and Beyond: Photographs by Allen Ginsberg." The collection here largely includes photos of the usual Beat suspects (W.S. Burroughs, Kerouac, et al) but it is remarkable that some of these photos from the Beat era that are virtually iconic were taken by none other than Irwin Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) from the 50s through his death in 1997. Some of the photos include poesy and commentary that Ginsberg had written directly on the print. Recent writings surrounding a book "A Blue Hand- The Beats in India" suggests that AG's real talent was for living. Maybe so, but this exhibit, that deserves a wider audience, highlights yet another dimension of the enormous talent, energy and creative output that surrounded Allen Ginsberg-- a poet, philosopher, critic, musician, artist, cultural visionary and activitst, and photographer, the 11th anniversary of whose passing recently occurred (April 5, 1997). These photos, along with an expanded collection of other works, "A Discerning Vision," are from the collection of Howard Greenberg,a collector and curator who founded the Catskill Center for Photography (CCP) back in the late 70s. The collection includes originals of other classics, such as "An American Girl in Italy" by Ruth Orkin, as well as photos by Weegee, Lewis Hine and Walker Evans. A concurrent exhibit of painting and prints at the
museum, "Defining Art" includes Robert Rauschenberg, Larry Rivers, and other recently acquired works by luminaries and other lesser known, but wonderful artists. A smaller show, "Reading Objects 2008" includes art coupled with commentary by students and faculty in New Paltz's art programs.

Dorsky remains a smaller museum that nevertheless packs quite a punch.

Samuel Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz: http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum/information/museumvisit.html

Spiritual Technology: "Outside the Text: Non-Textual Sources of Meaning in Rabbinic Civilization " Lectures at NYU by Professor Michael D. Swartz

After work, over the last couple of weeks, I attended a series of public lectures at NYU's Skirbal Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies entitled "Outside the Text: Non-Textual Sources of Meaning in Rabbinic Civilization. " This represented the Inaugural presentation in a new annual series at NYU, the Benita and Sigmund Stahl Lecture Program in Jewish Studies, which combines special graduate seminars with public lectures. The program's first lecturer was Professor Michael D. Swartz, of Ohio State University. Since Professor Swartz is a former NYU doctoral student who also has co-published academic works with Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman, Professor and Chairman of NYU's Hebrew and Judaic Studies Department, it seemed to represent a sort of homecoming for him, as he was greeted warmly by the Department.

The lectures explored the ideas that the Jewish people, commonly viewed as a text-centered civilizaton and faith, with the Torah at its center, also has profound roots that are non-textual in nature. That in fact, the Torah, as an object, or an abstract, was created before the world. I am no kabbalist, but esoteric Judaism and "Scholastic Magic" (the title of a book by Dr. Swartz) suggests the deeper structures of Jewish life and culture. The program comprised 3 lectures by Dr. Swartz:

"The Signifying Creator" explored "alternative creation myths in Jewish interpretation (Midrash) and synagogue poetry (Piyyut). Whereas in the classical rabbinic myth the Torah was used as a model for the creation of the world, some sources state that the sacrificial rituals, the Tabernacle, and the Jerusalem Temple were created before the world and serve as the focal point for the act of creation. This myth then yields a more general teleological conception of creation, in which each created thing has a purpose in future history." Professor Swartz cited Genesis Rabbah that the Torah was created first by G-d, that the Torah was created before the world, and served as the blueprint from which the world was created.

"The Semiotics of the Priestly Vestments in Ancient Judaism," another fascinating lecture, explored "how the elaborate golden and jeweled vestments worn by the High Priest in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem served as the subject of an intricate semiotic system in Midrash and liturgical poetry. This system attaches moral and cosmological symbolism to each article of clothing. According to this method of interpretation, each garment symbolizes an Israelite tribe or an episode in biblical history and at the same time serves as an active instrument in achieving the ritual goals of the sacrifice." Professor Swartz discussed the 4 garments of the common priest and the 8 garments of the High Priest, which the High Priest would wear and inquire of the Urim and Thumim which were a form of (my term) spiritual technology, that were used to communicate with G-d..A passage of the Books of Samuel mentions three methods of divine communication - dreams, prophets, and the Urim and Thummim. When the powerpoint presentation on the priestly vestments crashed, one wag, an acquaintance from Park Slope who works at NYU, commented "They've got to reboot the Urim and Thumim."

"Divination and Its Discontents: generating Meaning in Talmudic and Esoteric Judaism", the final lecture of the series concerned "the ancient art of divination in Jewish culture and how the rabbinic class in late antiquity participated in it and responded to it. Some historians have argued that divination was the first form of hermeneutics. Divination systems involve such activities as scrutinizing the natural world for signs of signification, developing techniques for generating random results, and reading personal significance into such disparate events as the chanting of children in a schoolhouse and the arrival of barges at a riverbank. In this lecture these techniques were explored, along with related legends in which animals, stars, the earth, and other elements of nature are sentient and communicate the divine will." This cruised along, tweaking dichotomies, for example, as to how Ancient Judaism could condemn divination and magic -- except when it was acceptable. Professor Swartz mentioned a story about driving in a car with Professor Schiffman at about the time they were working on a book relating to ancient Judaic magic. Schiffman's kids were in the backseat, riffing on magic and Judaism. One child gave the example of when Moses appeared before Pharoah, and his staff turned into a snake. The other child said "No, that wasn't magic, that was an example of the power of G-d." I, too, always thought that scene (whether Charlton Heston on film or in Exodus on the printed page) was a fascinating moment, almost a duel between light and darkness, in some abstract sense, a duel between magicians' except for the fact that, indeed, Moses was not the author of this transmogrification, he was a conduit for the power of Adonai.

Also present in the audience for the lectures was Professor Elliot Wolfson, of NYU's Hebrew and Judaic Studies Department. Professor Wolfson, who at first I mistook for a postgraduate student, asked some deep and challenging questions of Professor Swartz which seemed to be at the core of scholarship and the continuing search for knowlege. I had read some excerpts from works by Dr. Wolfson regarding Jewish history, spirituality, and the Lubavitcher movement. He noted to the audience that, at the conclusion of the series, it was bittersweet, in that the series had been so enjoyable but that it indeed had ended. Professor Wolfson mentioned a lovely quote from his father, that (I am paraphrasing, I hope correctly) when something wonderful ended, it was like awakening from a dream. Professor Wolfson also has a fascinating website of his painting, poetry and scholarship, but I will leave it to the interested reader to research and discover, just as this lecture series offered this writer some spiritual nourishment, a few small steps in a long journey, in the days leading up to Passover in the Jewish year, and spring in the natural world around us.

Poor Boys and Pilgrims: A Brief Second-Hand Report on Paul Simon at BAM Last Night

I saw my good friend SLC as we were crossing Boerum Place this morning. He was at BAM last night to see the Paul Simon performance of "African Skies". Lucky ! Awesome show, he reports, amazing Simon, in great voice with a fantastic band, and with a guest appearance by David Byrne. Simon and company performed all of Graceland, lots of celebrities in the audience (Steve Buscemi, David Schwimmer, among other notables). SLC reports that "at one point, Simon brought out a Brazilian singer who sang some Milton Nascimento tunes. Simon put his guitar down and sat on the edge of the drum stand and just bopped his head to the song. He was at once the maestro directing every detail of the show and also just one of the crowd grooving on the tune." Sounds like truly a Stellar Night.

The Mississipi River was shining like a National guitar -- damn, Paul is right up there at the summit of American songwriting. In the pantheon, way up there, certainly, not nearly quite as bottomless as the new Pulitzer Prize winner, more like the clear waters of the Hudson compared to Dylan's muddy Mississippi, but Simon is without question a songwriter's songwriter, a consciously lighter more pop touch, more NYC neurotic with a dash of classic restraint compared to Dylan's midwestern John Brown prophetic anger and genius... but Paul is an enormously gifted craftsman and superb guitarist, poet and minstrel, a tunesmith who has produced an amazing amount of classic pop music in different styles, and a pioneer on the world music front.

As I told SLC, "You've got me psyched, guaglione..." Now I can't wait to be there at BAM for Paul Simon's "American Tunes" in a couple of weeks...

We are going to Graceland, Graceland....

Brooklyn Film: BAM screens "The Saragassa Manuscript" (Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie)

The influence of the 60s never wanes. BAM Cinematek was crowded one evening this weekend for the short run engagement of The Saragosso Manuscript. A film from 1965, this black and white surreal epic of Polish cinema, directed by Wojiech Has and based on a novel by Jan Potocki is one of those marathon classics that one built one's day around at the old Elgin Cinema on 8th avenue in Manhattan or the Gramercy on Bleecker. Clocking in at a solid three hours, it was a true test of cinema willpower. But, once again, the patient, attentive filmgoer will be amply rewarded.

Basically, during the Napoleonic wars, an officer finds an old book that relates his grandfather's story, Alfons van Worden, captain in the Walloon guard. A man of honor and courage, he seeks the shortest route through the Sierra Morena. At an inn, the Venta Quemada, he encounters two Islamic princesses. They call him their cousin and seduce him; he wakes beside corpses under a gallows. He meets a hermit priest and a goatherd who may be possessed; each tells his story;Van Worden wakes again by the gallows. He's rescued from the Inquisition, meets a cabalist and hears more stories within stories. He finally returns to the inn where he receives incredible news. But this story line is easier said than followed. So, this viewer sat back and let the incredible imagery, contorted storylines and fabulist (sometimes arch and comic) dialogue work its cinema magic.

Although it appears to be soon-to-be-in-DVD release, with the lavish praise and support of Francis Coppola and Martin Scorsese, it really deserves a Big Screen viewing since some of the landscapes, filmed in Poland, are surreal and the set designs, costumes, and props are fantastic, in a well-produced, avant garde production. Interesting how Polish film in the 60s, still within the Soviet sphere, managed to mix Kabbalah, Islamic lore and culture, Catholicism and the Inquisition in a curious, mystical brew. It is clearly right down Luis Bunuel's alley, another alleged fan.

The film, as has been publicized, was discovered by the late Jerry Garcia at the San Francisco Film Festival in the late 60s. He donated a copy to the Pacific Film Archive with the proviso that they would unspool it for him whenever he had the yen to toke up and explore this classic, that unfolds, story by story, tale by tale, like a winding clock, for a good 2.5 hours, until it suddenly begins to fold in on itself and slowly, for the last half hour, though to this viewer, not completely, unwinds, so that some of the stories begin to connect, if not explain themselves completely.. Or at least enough to reward the patient viewer with the sense that they have been watching an actual if complex narrative, and even if it seems to have been written on a Mobius Strip. If you contemplate a drink before the show, make sure it is served in a Klein Bottle. Runs through Thursday, April 10.

Out Among the Brooklyn Bloggers: "But Can It Core A Apple ?"

Usually, I am at work, or spending time with my Better Half and kids, or otherwise taking Care of the Business of Life. Somehow, around the edges for the past year or so, I have found time , or actually made time, to get into my blog. I suppose different people get different things out of their blog. Although all bloggers are writers, I think all bloggers view their project with a different sense of purpose and as presenting a different persona. Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn has a always reflected my writerly interests-- literary, with Brooklyn as its overarching theme, but with the process of blogging itself always as its pole pointing true north. Blogging to me means sitting down, or actually, as I am now, kneeling on the floor, with the laptop on a table, in order to express something that's caught my attention whether internally or out there in the world..

So it was really interesting to have the opportunity to get out among the Bloggers this week. I had attended a great blogade before, hosted by Rob of Luna Park Gazette and met many bloggers. But his week I had the chance to meet at the Sidecar on 5th avenue for the first time Louise Crawford, of Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn, which, as I have said on other occasions, seems to me is the "Bloggo di Tutti Bloggi" of Brownstone Brooklyn Blogs. LC's was the first blog to use my stuff and we have exchanged emails and it so it was so interesting to finally meet Louise and Hugh Crawford in person, say hello, and exchange notes, finally realizing that each of us had a kid who knew the other from middle school. The event was co-hosted by Brooklyn Based, and was a great chance to get out from behind the computer and meet the folks behind the blogs..

Then, the Blue Barn Video shoot for the upcoming blogfest was another opportunity to meet other bloggers whose sites I enjoy-- Found in Brooklyn, Pardon Me for Asking, Brooklynometry. David Castillo and the crew at Blue Barn were very cordial and extremely pro. I only pray that I did not bite off more than I could chew by agreeing to appear since I fear that I came off, as we say in the Italian American parlance, as a complete "jooch". The questions were posed fast and furious. I groped for words. Anything I thought of in advance that I might say about Blogging and Place flew out of my head to the four winds. I was only glad I hadn't been asked what sounded like to me the question of the day: "What Do You Wear When You are Blogging". I like to think I would have answered "Software" but more likely I would have answered "Hamanah-hamanah-hamanah" like Ralph Kramden on the Honeymooners: "I'm the Chef o' Da Future"...I'm the Chef o'Da Future!" On HD, everyone can see you cringe. It was a lot of fun just as it was a relief to get back to real life and the safety of Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn. See you at Blogfest.

Coda: Fiske Terrace/Midwood Park Designated as Landmark by LPC

Fred Baer, former President of the Fiske Terrace Association, and among the prime movers throughout this designation process, sent this email to area residents/FTA members regarding the Landmark Preservation Commission's designation of the Fiske Terrace and Midwood Park neighborhoods as Landmark Historic Districts:


March 19, 2008

Yesterday we witnessed a historic event for our neighborhood: The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission formally designated the Fiske Terrace/Midwood Park Historic District. The Commission members’ commentary this morning was extremely complimentary towards our neighborhood, and reflected their admiration for how well kept our homes are and how well we have maintained the original character of our neighborhood.

Now that we are officially and landmarked district, there will certainly be many questions that we all as homeowners will have as to what we can and cannot do, and how and when we will need approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to make changes to our homes.

There is a great deal of information on the Landmarks Preservation Commission website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/home/home.shtml, or you can go to www.nyc.gov and click on the Landmarks button.

Within the site, there is a button on the left hand column called “Working with Landmarks.” On the next page, at the bottom of the list there is a section entitled “Perform Work on a Landmarked Property.” You can then go to whatever section might answer your question(s). There is also a phone number to call for further information. There are also other sections of the website (e.g. FAQ’s etc.) with other useful information.

We strongly encourage you to use the Landmarks Preservation Commission website and contact phone numbers to get answers to your questions before you commit to work on your houses. This can save you problems later if it turns out you needed a Landmarks permit for the work.

Also, within 1-2 weeks, the Landmarks Preservation Commission website will display the Fiske Terrace/Midwood Park designation report, with a great deal of detail on the history and architectural details of our neighborhood, with photos of many of our homes. It makes for fascinating reading.

As spring approaches and our neighborhood begins to bloom, we can be confident that the environment we all chose when we bought our homes here, will be preserved.

Fred Baer

Brooklyn Authors: Sol Yurick & Anticipation of the Night

A fire sale at Bear Stearns. Markets in turmoil. Sub-prime disasters. IRAs and TDAs drained overnight. Crises of modern times but forseen, at least in its potentiality and broadest strokes, by Brooklyn author Sol Yurick. I remember reading Behold Metatron, the Recording Angel, an essay by Brooklyn author Sol Yurick, published by Autonomedia (Foreign Agents Press) back in 1985. I think I picked up my copy in Park Slope's Community Books, back in the day. Yurick also is the author of The Warriors, made into a classic, apocalyptic gang film, as well as the excellent novels Fertig, The Bag, Someone Just Like You, Richard A. and Confession, and other articles and essays.

Behold Metatron is heavy stuff, relentlessly visionary, the material problem seen through a lens of advanced capitalism and electronic philosophy. Picture Wired Magazine crossed with Fortune Magazine but edited by William Blake. Metaphysics, economics, art and intellect of an high order, coalescing into an interpretation of an emerging electronic universe. Forget Al Gore, perhaps Mr. Yurick conceptualized, if not anticipated, the Internet, globalization, the flow of information and data across galaxies of cable and wireless realms, sometimes directed, sometimes chaotic, but always having impact.

Mr. Yurick wrote: "...the old philosopher's stone could convert base metals into gold. now humans, real estate, social relations are converted into electronic signs carried in an electronic plasma. the dream of magical controll has never been exorcised. perhaps, after all, modern capitalism is a great factory for the production of angels."

In 1988, the journal Social Text published Mr. Yurick's The Destiny Algorithm which appeared to further mine the cybernetic/human nexus.

Globalization and the 'net got its philosophic underprinnings where else, Brooklyn NY.

Mr. Yurick was born in 1925; according to wikipedia:

"He enlisted during World War 2, where he trained as a surgical technician. He studied literature at NYU after the war. After graduation, he took a job with the City of New York's department of welfare as a social investigator, a job he held until the early 1960s, when he took up writing full time. He was involved in Stuents for a Democratic Society and the anti-war movement at this time.
His first novel, The Warriors, appeared in 1965. It combined a classical Greek story, Anabasis (Xenophon), with a fictional account of gang wars in New York City. It inspired the 1979 film of the same name. His other works include: Fertig (1966), The Bag (1968), Someone Just Like You (1972), "An Island Death, (1976), Richard A (1981), Behold Metatron, the Recording Angel (1985), Confession (1999). Mr. Yurick is still an active writer. At the present time Yurick is working on a project which analyzes all possible texts from a Marxist, evolutionist perspective."

In an item in the New York Times in 2005, Mr. Yurick offered a personal geo-biography and in doing so, gave context to the Brooklyn surreal estate of the Now:

NY TIMES

June 19, 2005
VOICES; 'Willy-Nilly, Part of a Great Social Movement'
By SOL YURICK
DURING the Depression, when I was a child, my parents moved 15 times, more or less in the same area of the Bronx. When I went to college, I moved to Manhattan, 13th Street near Eighth Avenue.

The next move was to Brooklyn Heights. Why there? All I can remember is that the rents were cheap. It was there I met my wife, who herself was fleeing the Bronx.

Then the father of a friend of mine who was a landlord in Park Slope offered us three spacious rooms for $100 a month. The great migration to Park Slope had not yet begun.

We moved once, from President Street to Garfield Place. The migration began. Rents went up. We fled rising rents to the other side of Prospect Park -- Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, a mostly black and Caribbean neighborhood. And, of course, the migration of the barbarian gentry hordes has followed us.

When we think we are being most individualistic in our choices, we are, willy-nilly, part of a great social movement. What drove the great social migrations westward across the plains of Europe, what drove the aboriginal settlers of Australia and the Americas eastward, what drove the Norsemen, is the same thing that drives us all: shrinking space and increased rents.


Sol Yurick's novels include "The Warriors."

--Brooklyn Beat

Spring (Break) Comes to Flatbush

I left my office at midday to make the solo drive up the NYS Thruway to fetch our oldest daughter home from college for spring break. I fairly flew up from Boerum/Adams Street, to the Brooklyn Bridge, the FDR, the Willis Avenue Bridge to the Deegan, to the Thruway. I think I listened to "Love and Theft" at least three times.

Although the snow was gone from Rockland and Ulster Counties, ice still clung to some of the rocky outcroppings along the highway. Despite the bright sun, it was cold and clear.

I arrived at the campus, we loaded the car, stopped at the natural foods market for some snacks and got a couple of coffees at Starbucks. My daughter always gets iced coffee, no matter the season.

She offered to drive home which was great. I offered to hook up her Ipod to the car's sound system but she said, no why don't I drive and you DJ. But we started chatting and somehow never got around to the music. College life, family tales, future plans, speculations on why some colleges scheduled spring break this week (think college students + St Patricks Day + beer), highway versus city driving, campus discussions and conflict over Israel and the Palestinians. She said she only became aware of the Governor Spitzer issue when one of her professors mentioned it. Although the campus is relatively close to Albany, there was not a lot of discussion or awareness of it until he had actually resigned. My daughter is an international relations major (& Italian studies minor). She was pleased to report that a Palestinian classmate had written her name out in Arabic, and she had written her friend's name in Hebrew to their mutual amusement.

Suddenly, the skyline appeared in the Bronx and we were back in New York City. I had looked forward to this mini-journey and it proved to be some wonderful time, on the road, with my daughter (who will be 20 on March 17).

When we drove down East 17th street and turned onto our block, it was quiet and good to be home. A Thursday road trip, it was a nice punctuation, more of a comma, or an elipsis at the end of the week, promising a nice Friday, despite another day at the office, before a weekend of longer days and more sun. But there was more.

When we pulled up and my daughter maneuvered the car into the garage, there it was, right in front of our home, the first crocus had appeared. Bathed in these first few days of long sun, spring had made its appearance in Fiske Terrace. Yellow spikes, unmistakable, the primacy of nature and the promise of life in its many cycles. Promising in a few short weeks the white and pink blossoms of our cherry tree and then the prime green of the Japanese maple. Spring had made its way to Flatbush in time for spring break. And not a moment too soon.

NYS Politics: A Brand New Day

Governor David Paterson: Is New York the coolest state or what ? He is the right person in the right place at the right time. Let's "hope" that he can offer Change. Hope. Vision. Now it's time for all elected officials to Do the Right Thing in service of the people of this great state with regard to the budget, economic development upstate, education, and other critical issues that the state faces.

Governor Paterson will establish his own policy and goals. Logically, hopefully, some of those would include some of former Governor Spitzer's intended reforms and environmental plans. But it is clearly time to move ahead in a spirit of -- if not bipartisanship--cooperation and mutual respect. The era of the politics of personal destruction in New York State at least has to end now. This is one of those moments which offers an enormous opportunity. Let's hope neither party, nor the people of this State, squander it.

Politics: "Honey, I Shrunk My Mandate" or "Client 9 from Outer Space"

Just when we thought that the Democratic Presidential Primaries couldn't get any more excruciating we have the Death Watch over the Governor Eliot Spitzer resignation..

It is fair to say that even many of his supporters and admirers were uncomfortable with his use of his enormous political mandate. It seemed that he was incapable of governing, could not accomplish his State policy initiatives since he felt that he could only use his electoral mandate as a cudgel to attempt to beat his opponents into submission, could not work things out with Sheldon Silver of the Assembly or Joe Bruno of the State Senate. Mediation, political wrangling, negotiation clearly did not seem to be part of his personal toolkit. His way or the highway. Who did he think he was, Billionaire Mayor Mike Bloomberg ? Even Mayor Mike seems to be squeaky clean by comparison, or at least has the sense to cover his tracks really, really well.

There seemed hope in recent weeks that the Governor was in the process of toning down his approach, and that he would try something new in his second year of office. But now in retrospect, perhaps he was just keeping his head down, since he knew the Feds were circling. He has not only wasted his mandate but lost the tie breaking vote for the Dems that Lt Governor David Paterson potentially held in the State Senate. Press accounts suggest that the Lt Governor has reached out to GOP elected offiials and expressed a willingness to start fresh. Everyone in the state needs to support him and give him the benefit of the doubt before the knives are unsheathed. He may not be the Sheriff of Wall Street, but perhaps he can offer "hope" in New York, which we seem sorely in need of....

One could sense in his first year that there was something awry in the Spitzer administration. Perhaps, down deep, the Governor realized that he could not change himself, could not actually be a true leader, could not work across party lines to achieve his goals. He was a hard charger who seemed to have the world at his feet. How could he fail? So he unwittingly derailed his elected office, his administration, and his personal life, rather than fail.

There are no political enemies to blame here. "The fault lies not in our stars/but in ourselves." The watch continues.

Politics: Governor Spitzer to Resign ?

Hard ball politics. If Governor Spitzer was involved with a prostitution ring, he broke the law. That no doubt would be overshadowed by the hypocrisy of "the Sheriff of Wall Street" having personal pecadilloes and crimes and misdemeanors of his own uncovered. Was this something that will prove to have been known in Albany, and did his bare knuckle battle with Joseph Bruno lead someone to make this public ? It doesn't matter. Politics is a tough tough game. Any weakness will be exploited. Any flaw will glint like a polished diamond in the glare of the 24/7 news cycle. The delay in the Governors' statement suggests a resignation could be in the works. As Governor who delcared he was going to clean things up in Albany and NY State, how do you work your way back from this ? Somethings cannot be repaired. This may be an example of that.

Battle Tested versus Medium Cool

This amazing presidential campaign has shifted a little bit again. Although it appears that the breakneck momentum that Senator Obama displayed in February has been tempered a bit, the pundits are still pondering the math, and now no one is prepared to claim that they can see through their crystal balls to confidently predict the outcome of the Democratic nomination. Maybe Senator Obama with the combined hopes of his supporters will pull it all together before the Primary. Maybe not. But this is politics and stranger things have happened.

A few short months ago, who thought that Senator McCain would be the Last Man Standing in that crowded field of Republican White Guys.

It seems safe to assume that should Senator Obama receive the Democratic nomination, he and his so far invisible surrogates need to be prepared to fight tirelessly, endlessly, and fiercely in the regular campaign. Frankly, just like Hillary Rodham Clinton, has been willing to fight. Politics is a struggle. Senator Obama to the general public has not outlined a broad platform. He hasn't presented himeslf as a Man With A Plan. Rather, he is portrayed as a gentle visionary, zen cool, suggesting that we should all just love one another, work together for Change, hope and A Better America, and end the politics of personal destruction. This is not said to be facetious. He presents a very appealing image. However, and perhaps it is generational, but I can't yet see a shift away from traditional political campaigning, including hurling the negatives, or, its logical conclusion, the politics of personal destruction.

But should Senator Obama be the candidate and adopt this posture, there is no certainty that the Republicans will roll over and agree to play by the same game rules. (Think Ann Coulter.) When McCain passed the required delegate count, and claimed the G.O.P. mantle, his audience was ecstatic and you could sense that they were feeling empowered and now have the Fire in the Belly required to wage political war which is the American Way.

While Ms Rodham Clinton has seemed to assemble some concrete plans, especially in the health care realm, she too seems careful in not presenting too much information too soon. But what she has presented is her willingness and ability to be a strong candidate and a fighter. In traditional Democratic politics, that includes the willingness to fight the GOP to the end to secure victory.

If Senator Obama wins, perhaps his hallmark will be that coolness, that desire to end political rancor. The question is whether independents will respond to him rather than Senator McCain in sufficient numbers to put him over the top.

In order to ensure victory, we can't assume that the election will reflect anything other than traditional American politics.

Senator McCain projects a certain coolness as well, but it is the coolness of an elder statesman, who has seen, and suffered in, actual battle, and is now the standard bearer for his political party in a changing political climate. But I think we can safely assume that his surrogates will be brutal, both in direct challenge and in sub rosa investigations, leaks, etc., in an effort to breakthrough Senator Obama's cool image.

The major risk is that in electing Senator Obama the Democrats will be suggesting that yes, it will be a War of Ideas. I am sure that Senator Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton and all of their supporters would be out there fighting the GOP should Senator Obama be the candidate. At that point, however, will Senator Obama ask the only Democrats who have been successful in winning an election since Jimmy Carter to pull their punches ? Or will he take the Gandhian approach and say "I would rather lose this election and sacrifice my political party than defeat the Republicans by any means necessary? If through some unforeseen political manuevering, Senator Rodham Clinton gets the nomintion, will he and his supporters in fact not support her in hopes of waiting out the next election ?

Lots of interesting questions. The American political system is based on conflict, intense partisanship, personality, always has. It is no coincidence that there are so many "war" metaphors in the political argot. It seems that both parties would be required to buy into the change of the rules of the game. This has not yet happened.

The next months and the upcoming election promises to be as perplexing, difficult to foresee, and emotionally wrenching as ever.